Many sellers think that the hardest part of selling on Takealot is getting approved.

But once we actually got started, we realized:

Opening a store is just the first step.
Whether we can secure orders and make a profit down the line—that’s the real challenge.

Many Chinese sellers have set up their accounts and listed their products, but their stores still haven’t taken off. Here are the main reasons why.

I. Products were not pre-screened

For many sellers, their first instinct after opening a store is to upload all the products they currently have in stock.

But Takealot isn't a business you can just get off the ground by simply listing products.

Just because some products sell well in China doesn't mean there is demand for them in the South African market;
Some products appear to have high profit margins, but once you factor in logistics and platform fees, they don’t turn a profit;
Some products are bulky, involve complex after-sales service, and have very high ongoing operating costs.

So before opening a store, you must first determine:

Whether the product is suitable for the South African market;
Is the price competitive?;
Will the profit model work?;
Are the logistics costs acceptable?;
Is this suitable for long-term restocking?

If you don’t choose the right product, it will be difficult to make it a success no matter how hard you work on operations later on.

II. Only Knows How to Run a Store, but Not How to List Products

Many sellers think that listing a product simply means uploading images, filling in the title, and entering the product specifications.

However, when it comes to making sales on online platforms, the product page is crucial.

If the image is blurry, users won't trust it;
The title is inaccurate, so it can't be found;
Incomplete parameters affect conversion;
The selling points aren't clearly explained, so users don't understand them;
The prices aren't competitive, so even if people click on them, they won't place an order.

Just opening a Takealot store doesn't automatically generate traffic.

You need to ensure your product pages are designed to drive conversions so you can turn traffic into orders.

III. Failure to Calculate Total Profit Accurately

Factory sellers tend to calculate only the ex-factory price.

But when running Takealot, there are many other costs to factor in:

Platform fees;
Shipping costs;
Warehousing costs;
Shipping costs;
Return-related losses;
Operating costs;
Exchange rate fluctuations;
Tax costs.

Many products seem profitable at first glance, but once you actually start selling them, you realize that you don’t make much profit per order—or you might even end up losing money the more you sell.

So when it comes to Takealot, you can’t just ask, “Can we sell this?” You also have to ask:

Will I still be able to make a profit after selling it?

IV. Lack of Continuous Operations and Data Analysis

Once you've set up your Takealot store, don't just sit back and wait for orders.

You need to keep an eye on the data:

Which products are getting clicks?;
Which products are generating conversions;
Which price ranges are more likely to generate sales?;
Which products have high return rates?;
Which SKUs are worth restocking?;
Which products should be phased out promptly?

Many sellers fail to get their businesses off the ground simply because, even after opening their stores, no one monitors the data or adjusts products and prices based on customer feedback.

In the end, the store became “open but inactive.”

V. Lack of a Localized Business Mindset

Running a Takealot store in South Africa isn’t just a matter of bringing Chinese products over and calling it a day.

The South African market has its own consumer habits, price expectations, logistics environment, and after-sales requirements.

If sellers simply copy the strategies used on domestic or European and American platforms, they are likely to face difficulties adapting to the local market.

For example:

Product pricing is not in line with local purchasing power;
The packaging is not suitable for long-distance shipping;
The product specifications do not conform to local usage practices;
After-sales response is not up to par;
The pace of inventory replenishment is inconsistent.

The key to a local store is to operate according to the logic of the local market.

concluding remarks

After opening a Takealot store, many sellers struggle to get their businesses off the ground—not because the platform lacks opportunities, but because they haven’t planned effectively for both the early and later stages.

Frequently asked questions include:

No products have been filtered;
Unprofessional product listing;
The profits haven't been calculated yet;
No one is in charge of the data;
Localized operations haven't kept up.

So when it comes to Takealot, you can’t just stop at “Help me open a store.”

What we really need to do is:

Evaluate your products before listing them,
Once your store is open, make sure to list your products,
Continuously monitor the data during operations,
Wait until the trend is established before increasing volume.

If you’ve already opened a Takealot store but aren’t sure why it isn’t taking off, or if you’re planning to open one but aren’t sure if your products will be successful, feel free to contact us for a store and product evaluation.

We can help you determine:

Is the product suitable for Takealot?;
Do the page and product listing need to be optimized?;
Is there a problem with the profit model?;
Which SKUs are worth continuing to test?;
Which products should not be further invested in;
What are the next steps for operational support?

If you’d like to learn more about Takealot’s store setup and operational support programs, please contact us for a one-on-one assessment.